San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park opens its popular Butterfly Jungle this weekend — a springtime-only event that lets visitors wander among thousands of colorful butterflies.

It’s a unique experience to be able to touch and interact with so many winged creatures, so to answer questions about butterfly etiquette we asked Michael Mace, ﻿curator of birds at the San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park, for help.

Here’s what you should know before heading out to Butterfly Jungle, which is open through April 7.

A: “We import 6,000 to 8,000 butterfly pupa from countries like Costa Rica, El Salvador and Columbia. We also bring some from Africa and Asia and certain parts of the United States.”

Q: What’s the perfect temperature for them?

A: “We keep the enclosure somewhere between 70 and 80 degrees because that’s the temperature they’re used to in their native environments.”

Q: What do butterflies eat, and how do you feed them?

A: “They eat a few different things. We have a number of flowering plants — Lantanas, Pentas and things like that — that produce nectar. We have some nectar in feeders that we provide for them. And some species also eat fruit that’s well-ripened.”

Q: What kinds of butterflies will people see, and are there easy ways to identify them?

A: “We import about 30 different species of butterflies in every color of the rainbow. On the website (sdzsafaripark.org), we have a butterfly guide people can look at and print out. There are graphic signs in the exhibit as well.

Q: What should you wear or do if you want a butterfly to land on you?

A: “It doesn’t matter if you’re four or 84, the butterflies will land on people. Our seasoned members come wearing really colorful clothes that look like a flower because they know it increases their chance to have butterflies land on them. We want to make sure people realize butterflies are very delicate, and we ask that people don’t try to touch them.

Q: Is there a certain number of people that can be in the exhibit at one time?

A: “One of things we encourage is for visitors to pick up a time ticket, where you get a time slot and then come back to the encounter. We do regulate the number of people because we want them to have the best experience and don’t want it to be too crowded.

Q: Have any butterflies accidentally gone home on someone’s clothes?

A: “No. The butterflies come from a foreign country and it’s important for them to stay in their home. We have people who help our guests as they leave to make sure a butterfly isn’t hitchhiking out on clothes or backpacks.”

Q: Is there anything else we should know about butterflies?

A: Harvesting butterflies in some of these countries supports the working families there, and also helps with conservation. Butterflies also serve a role in San Diego as pollinators.”